Downhill Suspects (Cont.)

Tricks

Nov 1, 2002

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So you overslept: The powder's been pummeled and the bumps are hard and shiny. Sounds like a perfect day for the terrain park and halfpipenow that they've gone equal opportunity, with skiers on forgiving twin tips launching gap jumps and executing rail slides alongside boarders. THE SKI: Head Mad_Trix System ($950, including binding). Though famous for his mogul runs, these days Jonny Moseley spends more time in the park or the backcountry than on a bumps course. Head's Mad_Trix System lets him do both on one pair of skis. The twin-tips and 75-millimeter waist reflect a fairly standard design, but there the convention ends: Adjustable bindings make them the first skis you can run in two directions. THE BINDING: Tyrolia System. This system's genius can be found in the reversible mounting plate. Flip a lever and you can rotate the unit 180 degrees, switching between two settings: Big Mountain, with more tip than tail for flotation in powder, and Big Airdead center for 720s. THE BOARD: Palmer Snowboards Honeypro ($550). Shaun Palmer dominated just about every extreme sport he felt like toying with, but not the halfpipe. Here's payback. In the Honeypro, Palmer's company cranks out a Kevlar-woven honeycomb core in the tip and tail sections to keep the swing weight incredibly low for spin moves, and carbon-fiber runners in the tail to give it exceptional rebound off lips. THE BINDING: Salomon SPX Carbon ($330). These primo bindings use a fishbone strap padded in Salomon's Autofit foam for superior fit and a performance-enhancing carbon high-back for faster heel-side response. Simply put, they excel everywhere.